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As I made my daily green tea with honey and lemon drink this morning I began to think about the inevitable fact that winter is just around the corner. Winter is a time for hot tea, coffee beverages, hot chocolate and the occasional hot toddy. I’ve found that honey blends perfectly with all of these drinks. But I also began to think about all the other things I use this golden delight for. Not only do I put it to my favorite drinks, soap recipes and food recipes but I put it on my body quite often. I never really thought about how much I use it or why I seem to always have it stocked in my pantry until today.

Skin Benefits of Honey

Honey is a highly concentrated sugar solution produced by honeybees. It’s color and flavor depend upon the type of flower used by the bees in their honey making process. As I described above, honey is commonly used as a substitute for sugar or a flavor enhancer. But aside from that, is honey good for your skin?

Honey is a natural product that doesn’t contain any chemicals or man-made elements. It has been used for thousands of years all around the world in nutrition, medicine and skin care. As far back as the days of Cleopatra, honey and milk were used to promote youthful skin. Scientists are also researching it’s use in modern medicine for skin healing purposes.

Try Some Honey, Honey

Here are the main reasons to try some honey:

it is natural and free from chemicals, especially when you buy organic

due to its high content of nutrients it provides great nutrition to your skin

as a humectant it acts as a moisturizer hydrating and softening the skin

it has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and can be used as a natural antiseptic

its antioxidants eliminate free radicals from the body, protects from the damage of the sun’s rays and supports the skin’s ability to rejuvenate and refresh depleted skin

in wound management it can stimulate and speed up healing

Honey On Your Face

For an easy face mask, it only takes two ingredients. Organic Honey and one other favorite from your kitchen. I like to use a mashed Fresh Avocado or Ground Oatmeal. Milk also works well as does, an Egg or Plain Yogurt. Warn the Organic Honey and mix it with your other ingredient until you have a smooth paste. Gently apply to your clean face and neck keeping away from the eyes. Relax and leave the mask on for 15 minutes. Wash it off with cool water. Pat your skin dry with a clean towel. Lastly apply a moisturizer, to seal in the water.

Honey In Your Hair

Combine 1/2 cup of Honey with 1-2 Egg Yokes and 1 Tbsp Olive Oil in a cup. Massage into clean, damp hair and let sit for 20-30 minutes. For a deep condition, apply a plastic cap and sit under a hood dryer for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

Soap scum is a white or gray filmy layer that covers the surfaces around our showers, bathtubs, and sinks. Soap scum is actually formed thanks to minerals in your water that combine with the wonderful oil and moisturizing elements in your soaps. Get rid of those minerals and you get rid of the scum. Soap is getting a bad wrap. It shouldn’t be called soap scum at all should it? Maybe water scum is a better name. Let’s just call it what it is.

Those with mineral filled hard water are much more likely to have water scum. This effect arises because the chemical makeup of those hard water minerals react with the properties of the soap by forming a solid precipitate (the scum). The soap is not your problem it is your water. Hard water filled with minerals can also reduce the amount of creamy soft suds you can form with your soap bar.

Wherever water hardness is a concern, water softening is commonly used to reduce hard water’s adverse effects. If you have hard water you may use a water softener to do this. Salt is mixed with water. The chemical properties from the salt replace the chemical properties of the minerals, eliminating the reaction to the soap properties and ending the scum problems. Don’t attempt to fix the symptom by sacrificing the health of your skin and using store bought detergent bars! When you use commercial soaps, you may have found your skin feeling dry and stretched. Those bars aren’t soap at all! With the natural ingredients in handcrafted soap, you will find your skin feeling smooth and fresh, without any itchy feeling. Address the root of the problem, your water source.

The benefits of a good bar of handcrafted soap made from natural ingredients are several especially that they help in maintaining healthy and beautiful skin.

Handcrafted soap made from coconut, olive oil or palm oil, is rich in vitamins that helps people with sensitive skin and those who suffer from skin conditions like acne, psoriasis, eczema, and other dry skin problems.

Handcrafted soap is made in small batches to better manage quality and consistency.

Handcrafted soap contains glycerin that is a necessary moisturizing agent found in lotions and other skin creams.

The natural oils in handcrafted soap, such as jojoba oil help in balancing the skin complexion.

Natural handcrafted soaps do not contain synthetic fragrances or colors and this helps you avoid ingredients that can be harmful to your skin or cause reactions on sensitive skin

Natural handcrafted soap is completely environment friendly and thus, by using it you are actually doing a favor to the environment.

Essential oils are one of the true wonders of nature. The oils are stored in the cells of the plants, in places like the leaves/needles (mint and pine), the flowers (rose or chamomile), bark (cinnamon), the roots (ginger ), the skin/rind (citrus fruits) or in the seeds (anise). They are the “essence” of the plant.

The majority of essential oils are obtained through two methods: expression and distillation. Expression is when the rind is pressed, squeezing the oil out. But the majority of essential oils come from some sort of water or steam distillation. This by far is the most common process and can be done at home too! The heat from the steam forces the plant to open up and release its oils. Just google distilling essential oils and you can find all the instructions you need to make quality essential oils right in your kitchen.

Ways to use essential oils

Common ways of using essential oils include, vaporization, massage, bathing, and compresses. But be careful essential oils (except in rare exceptions) should not to be applied to the skin without diluting them first. Select your oils based on their therapeutic properties. One of my favorites is Lavender. Lavender essential oil, is floral and herbaceous, and always delightful. Aromatherapists use it because it has relaxing and calming properties. I always have it on hand for burns, bug-bites and skin irritations. And we Soap and Candle makers love lavender just because it smells so good.

Google is your friend, so research what you are looking for. You can also pick up a book at your local bookstore if you really get into using essential oils. Do your research on the oil you want to use BEFORE using it.

Vaporization: I use Lavender in my vaporizer and on my pillowcase. You can also use essential oils in a small container over a radiator, or in a light bulb ring diffuser (found at our local craft store) to softly scent a room. Or treat your stress or cold by placing a drop or two onto a tissue or pillowcase.

Baths: I also use Lavender in my baths. Put drops of essential oil in your bath and soak to sooth achy muscles or to simply relax.

Massage: Lavender is a wonder scent for massage therapy. Blend your essential oils into a base oil such as sweet almond or grape seed oil. Use this to massage your body or better yet to massage someone else.

Compresses: Essential oils can be used to as an effective way of relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Apply them as a compress to the affected area.

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Do you love your natural handcrafted soap bar in the shower for the silkiest skin ever? How about as a shampoo? A natural handcrafted soap bar can definitely be used to shampoo your hair! The soap will typically contain an excess of oils added to the mixture that provides two benefits:

The excess oils act as “superfatting” agents which contribute to the mildness and an overall luxurious feel to the soap. The final product is extra mild and doesn’t irritate skin or damage hair.

These oils act as moisturizing and conditioning agents, much as they would in a regular shampoo or conditioner.

Shea butter is prized for being an excellent moisturizer, and soaps with this ingredient included can leave the hair and skin feeling softer than ever! If your water is “hard” water you’ll want to be sure to take the extra step of using a “rinse” on your hair to prevent the build up that can happen when the things in your “hard” water chases after and binds to those good things in your soap. What can we say, “hard” water loves the great things in you soap to!

Rinsing with a mildly acidic solution will help dissolve the hard water deposit from your hair, shrink the hair shaft diameter, flatten the cuticle and increase the shine and smoothness of your hair. White or apple cider vinegar, dissolved citric acid or vitamin C (ascorbic acid) all have sufficiently low pH to help rinse the deposits away and return your hair to its preferred pH. Below is a simple recipe you can try.

VINEGAR RINSE

If you are worried that the vinegar will leave a smell on your hair, don’t worry it will disappear after you rinse and dry your hair. Plus the vinegar will soften and clarify your hair. It is also acidic and after shampooing it will restore your hair’s normal pH. I prefer apple cider vinegar but white will work as well. Make your rinse from ingredients right in your kitchen. As you get to know your hair you can adjust your vinegar up or down to meet your needs:

2 Tablespoon of vinegar (apple cider or white)

2-3 cups of water

Pour this mixture over hour hair letting is soak into all strands. Leave it sit for a few minutes then rinse. I like to leave it in for 10-15 minutes. The more you use it you will learn what works best for you.

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“Ivory Wave”, ” Purple Wave”, “Vanilla Sky”, and “Bliss”—- are all among the many street names of a so-called designer drug known as “Bath Salts”. We thought bath salts were for relaxing in a state of aromatherapy, after a long day at the office? Unfortunately these “Bath Salts”, and similar products with euphemistic names are not supposed to be for human consumption. These products are being sold in shops, convenience stores and gas stations and our children are purchasing these dangerous items. These bath salts contain amphetamine-like chemicals such as methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), mephedrone, and pyrovalerone.

When MDPV gets to the brain, the effects include producing feelings of empathy, stimulation, alertness, euphoria, sensory awareness and hallucinations. Other reported effects include rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, and sweating. Parents and schools must stress to children that these substances, despite not being illegal, these can be even more dangerous than street drugs, just like tobacco & misused medications. This is the ideal moment to have that conversation to help the youth understand why something that is legal is not necessarily safe.

Using bath salts as directed can be a tool in achieving a level of relaxation. Also, when you make your now, you can make it a family project and spend some quality time with your kids in the kitchen. There is a fun & easy bath salt recipe below for you to try.

Of course if you simply don’t have the time,we have a great idea! Our luxurious bath salts are currently on sale! Go tohttp://www.bathedbynature.com/ After making a purchase, you are one step closer to a total state of relaxation with a product handcrafted from the heart to nourish the soul!

There is a long history of using milk in soaps and other skin care products. In fact milk has been used in bath products since ancient times. Cleopatra, rumored to have had beautiful skin, was said to have taken daily milk baths. But what, if any, benefit does your skin get from these popular products?

The three most important benefits of Milk Soaps are:

Gentleness

Moisturizing

Exfoliating

Gentleness

Milk soap is great for all skin types, oily, normal and dry. Milk is rich in proteins, calcium, and vitamins that are easily absorbed by the skin while bathing. Milk soaps are so gentle because their pH are very close to the natural pH of human skin. This allows the soaps to gently cleanse without being harsh or irritating to the skin.

Moisturizing

Milk soap naturally contains milk fats, triglycerides and vitamins which help moisturize the skin. Goat milk contains capric-capryllic triglyceride, which is a popular ingredient in moisturizers. In addition to the milk fats and triglycerides, the natural glycerin in milk soap, is also an effective moisturizer. However, most commercial soap manufacturers remove this element from their soaps and sell it as a separate product.

Exfoliating

Milk Types

Milk soap can be made using goat’s milk, cow’s milk, buttermilk, coconut milk, soy milk, or basically any milk. I tend to like soaps made with buttermilk and goat’s milk because they feel richer in the final bar. It could just be me, but I think this may be due to the higher fat content in these milks. The difference could be so slight you should try different types and then choose your favorite!

Recipe

Milk is also commonly used in baths and lotions. Try this simple milk bath recipe:

1 cups dry powdered milk (butter, goat or other). You can also use liquid milk of you prefer.

1/4 cup Dead Sea salts, or Epsom salts

2 Tablespoons honey

Add your favorite essential oil for scent

Add dried lavender, chamomile, rose petals (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and pour into the bath as you fill the tub and stir well so the milk powder dissolves completely. Lock the bathroom, light some candles. Relax!

I recently spent a week on vacation at Marco Island in Florida. The weather was great except for a few afternoon thunderstorms. Fortunately they moves through quickly so we could enjoy our evenings out.

I spent my days on the beach reading or in the water. Although I used my sun block religiously I still got a little burned. I have to admit the one day I didn’t use it is the day I went wave running and ended up with tingling skin. So that night I decided I had better treat myself to a little “skin healing” before I headed back into the sun.

After dinner I took a cool shower then headed into the kitchen to find something to mix up as mask for my face, neck and shoulders. I loved it so much I have to share the recipe.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

1 medium ripe avocado

1 cucumber

3 tbsp. all natural plain yogurt

2 tbsp. all natural honey

Peel and slice two pieces of cucumber to place over your eyes. Cucumber is the perfect addition to your avocado face mask, as it cleans, nourishes, hydrates and helps reduce circles underneath the eyes. Slice the remaining cucumber in half (the long way) and remove any seeds. Place it in a blender and blend a bit. Add the avocado, yogurt, and honey then blend until creamy. The Avocado can help your skin maintain its healthy and beautiful glow. Yogurt is a natural and gentle cleanser. Honey has the ability to kill germs on the skin and can reduce swelling and inflammation, giving the skin youthful appearance.

Splash your face with warm water and pat dry. Apply a generous layer of the face mask to your face, neck and shoulders. Place the cucumber slices over your eyes, lay back and relax.

Allow the mask to set for at least 15 minutes then rinse thoroughly with warm water, and patting dry.